If you are like me you’ll have a long mental list of activities for the school summer holidays. I often see some great ideas on other people’s blogs and I squirrel them away for the long summer. However just like the squirrel forgetting where he has buried his nuts those bookmarks get well and truly lost. However they are not always remembered and we never seem to do that many of them. So this year I thought we would be a little more organised and jot them down.
So here is our list for the summer. Some are old favourites, others we have already had a go at, but there are quite a few new activities for us. We hope some of them will help you to plan your summer and inspire you and your family to explore new and far afield.
IN THE GARDEN
- Build a Bug Hotel
We have just seen this fantastic bug hotel at the London Wetlands Centre. However I have realised that using large pallets, which is the normal advice, will take up far too much room in an average sized garden. So we are on the lookout for a smaller version
- Make a Bee Watering Hole
This we have completed with a large outdoor pot saucer and marbles. We then placed it in a spot in the garden where lots of bees are feeding. Hopefully a good addition to a garden with no water in this very dry weather
- Build a Mini Pond
- Build a Log Pile
- Make Clay Faces
We tried this activity a couple of years ago and it was great fun getting artistic with the clay. For details please see making tree clay faces for the garden.
- Make a Herb Book
I have done this activity with other children and have always been meaning to do it as a family.
- Watch the Stars
That telescope given as a Christmas present still hasn’t been used. Now hopefully on a warm evening, is the time to have a proper go.
- Use the Night Vision Googles.
Again another Christmas present waiting to be used.
- Camp in the Garden
- Draw a Sound Map
For this you need to blindfold your child and then guide them around the garden. They just have to listen. They may hear the birds, a lorry passing by or the wind in the leaves. This can then be drawn afterwards.
- Go on a Colour Treasure Hunt
If I don’t manage to get hold of paint colour chart we will use coloured pencils to match the colours.
- Garden Obstacle Course
Harvest
- We will have Potatoes, Garlic, fruit, edible herbs and hopefully tomatoes to harvest
- Create some garden art
- Our willow den has gone wild this year so we will have plenty of willow to weave.
- Leaf Rubbing
- Paint and Draw in the Garden
- Set up a Shadow sheet
- Set up a moth trap
- Make a Wind Chime
OUT & ABOUT
- Fishing
We have never had a go at this, but have realised there are some fishing lakes near to where we are so it is too good an opportunity to miss.
- Crabbing
This is an old favourite and regular summer activity. Please read about our experiences here.
- Watch the Badgers
We do know where there is a badger sett nearby. Hoping we may get some photos.
- Watch out for bats.
- Have a picnic tea on top of a hill and also by a river
We often have picnic lunches but rarely picnic teas.
- Paddle in a stream
- Play Tennis
- Fly a Kite
- Make a Journey stick.
We are bound to go on several walks. We would like to have a go at making journey sticks like we have here.
- Go on a Sunrise Walk
- Have a go at Geocaching
- Go Fossil Hunting at the Beach
Again this is an old favourite. You can never go on too many fossil hunts.
- Go Foraging
PLACES TO VISIT
- Kew Gardens
- The Line
- The Former Olympic Park
We visited here during the Olympics, but want to return to see the new planting and the Children’s playground
- The Geffrye Museum in London
- A Boat on the Thames
- Wetland Centre London
- Arne RSPB Reserve in Dorset.
- Sky Garden in London
I haven’t tallied how may items on this list we are just going to have fun working our way through them.
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